Binance faces U.S. probe over alleged Iran sanctions violations

September 22, 2026 at 03:07 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

U.S. federal prosecutors are investigating whether Binance knowingly allowed trading that violated sanctions on Iran, Bloomberg reported Tuesday. The Manhattan U.S. attorney's office and the Justice Department's criminal division are leading the inquiry. Binance said it maintains a zero-tolerance policy for sanctions violations and cooperates fully with law enforcement.

Key Facts

The U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan is investigating Binance's compliance efforts regarding Iran sanctions.
The Justice Department's criminal division in Washington, D.C. is collaborating on the investigation.
Binance pleaded guilty to banking compliance violations in 2023 and agreed to pay $4.3 billion in fines.
Binance said more than 1,500 people, about 25% of its global headcount, worked on compliance as of February.
In March, Binance filed a defamation lawsuit against Dow Jones over a Wall Street Journal report on the Iran investigation.

The Investigation

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan and the Justice Department are investigating whether Binance knowingly allowed trading that violated U.S. sanctions on Iran. The U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan is responsible for the investigation into the world's largest crypto exchange's compliance efforts. The Department of Justice's criminal division in Washington, D.C. is collaborating with the investigation. The inquiry aims to discover whether Binance allowed trading to proceed despite being aware that it violated sanctions laws.

Binance Response

A Binance spokesperson said the company maintains a zero-tolerance policy for sanctions violations. Binance said it fully cooperates with law enforcement and remains committed to rooting out and shutting down bad actors. The company said in a blog post in February that more than 1,500 people, or about 25% of its global headcount, worked on compliance. In March, Binance filed a defamation lawsuit against Dow Jones, publisher of The Wall Street Journal, over a report claiming the Justice Department was investigating Iran's use of the platform. Richard Teng, Binance co-CEO, accused the Wall Street Journal of inaccurate reporting about the compliance program.

Prior Scrutiny

Binance pleaded guilty to banking compliance violations in 2023 and agreed to pay $4.3 billion in fines. In April, the New York Times reported that Binance made it more difficult for law enforcement officials in several countries to obtain user information. Binance has continuously affirmed it has never permitted transactions with people under sanctions and pledged continued cooperation with authorities.